Couple jailed for involvement in Sheffield dad’s murder in case of mistaken identity
A man has been jailed for life for orchestrating the shooting, with his girlfriend also sentenced for helping him flee the UK
Last updated 23rd Jan 2026
A man and his girlfriend have been jailed for their roles in the 2023 murder of 19-year-old Kevin Pokuta, who was fatally shot in a case of mistaken identity in Sheffield.
Ethan Hallows, aged 25, of Oxford Street, was sentenced to life with a minimum of 33 years for murder, conspiracy to rob, one firearms offence, and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm.
His girlfriend, Paris Askew, aged 23, of Griffiths Road, Sheffield, received three years for assisting an offender.
Kevin was killed on December 12 2023 on Page Hall Road - after being mistaken for someone involved in foiling an earlier attempted robbery.
He was shot in the head by Jake Brown, who was convicted of murder alongside three others in 2024.
While reviewing hours of CCTV footage, officers connected Hallows to the killing, capturing him driving the car involved in the incident and directing Brown to fire the fatal shot.
Hallows fled the country, aided by Askew, who facilitated his escape and provided financial support. Using Askew’s phone, detectives uncovered evidence of her planning their evasion, including researching countries that would extradite back to the UK.
Askew returned to the UK and was arrested on January 4 2024. Hallows, having run out of options, flew back on May 2 2025 and was arrested upon landing.
Detective Chief Inspector Tom Woodward of South Yorkshire Police said:
“Hallows’ cowardly conduct saw him run away to avoid facing the consequences of his actions. Both Hallows and Askew knew that an investigation would be launched and that we would be looking for him.
"Extensive work from multiple departments across the force ensured that we captured the evidence to prove their involvement and ultimately secure their conviction.”
“Kevin was shot dead and died from a single bullet wound to the head because criminals mistakenly thought he was a person they wanted to seek revenge on over a failed attempted robbery. This is inexcusable.
“We have no place for gun crime in South Yorkshire. Lives such as Kevin’s and his family’s are often ruined, and we will continue to investigate, arrest, and prosecute those who choose to bring gun violence to our streets."